The father of late British singer Amy Winehouse has defended his lawsuit against two of her friends over the sale of her personal clothing at auction, which fetched around £730,000 (RM4 million).
Mitch Winehouse told the High Court in London that Naomi Parry, the singer’s former stylist, and her friend Catriona Gourlay did not have the right to sell dozens of items between November 2021 and May 2023.
Lawyer Henry Legge, representing Winehouse, said on the first day of the trial that the women sold 150 objects belonging to Amy, including dresses she wore on her last tour in June 2011. Amy Winehouse, who rose to international fame with her Grammy-winning 2006 album Back to Black, died of alcohol poisoning a month later at the age of 27.
Court documents state that Winehouse believed any proceeds from the auctions organized by Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions should have been paid to him. He also claimed that the two women failed to donate a third of the proceeds to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity he established to support young people.
Ted Loveday, lawyer for Gourlay, countered that most of the items had been given or lent to the women by the singer herself. “If a 19-year-old gives a scarf or a pair of earrings to their friends, no one signs a contract,” he told the court, emphasizing Amy’s generosity.
Gourlay and Parry, who met Winehouse in the early 2000s, were instrumental in creating some of her iconic looks, including the green bamboo dress she wore on her June 2011 tour, which later sold at auction for US$243,200 (RM1 million).
Beth Grossman, lawyer for Parry, argued that the women “are not thieves and they are not dishonest,” accusing Mitch Winehouse of acting out of “petty jealousy.” Mitch strongly denied the claim, responding, “You’re wrong.”
Grossman also pointed out the stark financial contrast between the multi-millionaire Mitch Winehouse and the two women, who she described as “living pretty much hand to mouth.”
The hearing is expected to continue until Friday, with a judgment to be delivered at a later date.
